A New York Magazine ran a contest: creatively change one letter in a foreign phrase. From the thirty-odd winners, I selected the five best for your amusement.

Harlez-vous francais? Can you drive a french motorcycle?
Quip pro quo - a fast retort
Respondez s'il vous plaid. Honk if you're Scottish.
Veni, vidi, velcro.* I came, I saw, I stayed.
Visa la France. Don't leave your chateau without it.

No doubt this board can exceed the standard of the thirty-odd winners. Ladies and gentlemen, pull out your thinking caps.

*OK, if the result is good enough, you can change a bit more than one letter.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: wordnerd,

Permit me to submit:

"Craveat Emptor" - May the buyer beware White Castle hamburgers.


(Not sure you have these tasty delights over in the U.K. but their slogan is "What you crave.")

Carpe diet - Eat fish! Lose weight!

billet-doux - a love letter
bullet-doux - a dear-john letter

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annus misabilis - Pain in the you-know-what!

This is bringing back memories of Fractured French, where Jeanne D'Arc means "The light in the bathroom isn't working."

wordnerd writes: "I selected the five best for your amusement."

How can we find the other 25 ??

Yes, Jerry, I am dying to see them as well. However, I found a wonderful list to tinker with, if anyone is so inclined.

These are similar to that line that Hic started with non compass mentis.

AINTONYM - in the vernacular, the exact opposite

Edit: I broke a rule - it's not a foreign word/prhase! Oh well.

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Carpe diet -- A slimming method involving eating fish.

de ficto - phony
cum loude - [I blush to translate this one]
ex parte becomes ex party - celebration when the divorce comes through

When my son graduated from the University of Hawaii at Hilo with a degree in geology, specializing in volcanology, magna cum laude, I suggested to his major professor that it might have been magma cum lava.

But my idea was not accepted.

apso facto: more than you wanted to know about dogs

la dolce visa - So, I can charge my Godiva chocolates?
(or maybe that should be la dolce pita - just put the chocolates in my pocket bread)

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la Donne e Mobile - the Alabaman is a fickle island

la Donna e Motile - The lady is capable of movement without conscious thought.

quote:

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Originally posted by arnie:
_la Donna e Motile_ - The lady is capable of movement without conscious thought.

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Love it ! My favourite so far.

Per arnia ad astra arnie got a new car (is that in any way meaningful in the U.S.)

arse longa, vita brevis - a fat backside shortens your life.

In honor of Mother's Day:

L'etat, c'est mom!

Nancy's solution ... "It's not juice!" (in other words, "Jus c'est non!")

quote:

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carpe diet

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I don't know how I missed shufitz's post before mine. At least it proves that great minds think alike!

pox populi - there's a small pox threat!

This is more than a one-letter change but I once thought about writing a book about how to best take advantage of business expense accounts simply so I could title one chapter:

Carpe per diem - Seize the allowance!

et celera = chewed on celery
Al dents = Alan bangs up his car.

(OK, not as good as the others)

[Eureka! Inspiration strikes!]

Crape diem = Keep away from me. I've had a terrible day.
(Remember, the e in the first word is pronounced.)

Al fresca = Eating in the open air while enjoying a refreshing lemon-lime carbonated drink.

X pluribus unum - No matter how many adult films you see, the plotlines are all basically the same.

(OK, that one was a bit of a stretch...)

I have a rather recalcitrant friend who would love this board, but somehow never seems to log on. Yet, he sends me all these funny e-mails. Here is one he sent me relevant to this thread:

HARLEZ-VOUS FRANCAIS
Can you drive a French motorcycle?

VENI, VIPI, VICI
I came, I'm a very important person, I conquered

COGITO EGGO SUM
I think; therefore I waffle

RIGOR MORRIS
The cat is dead

RESPONDEZ S'IL VOUS PLAID
Honk if you're Scottish (And, my friend is Scottish)

QUE SERA SERF
Life is feudal

LE ROI EST MORT. JIVE LE ROI
The king is dead. No kidding.

PRO BOZO PUBLICO
Support your local clown

MONAGE A TROIS
I am three years old

FELIX NAVIDAD
Our cat has a boat

HASTE CUISINE
Fast French food

VENI, VIDI, VICE
I came, I saw, I partied

QUIP PRO QUO
Fast retort

EX POST FUCTO
Lost in the mail

ALOHA OY
Love; greetings; farewell; from such a pain
you should never know (my personal favorite!)

VISA LA FRANCE
Don't leave your chateau without it

AMICUS PURIAE
Platonic friend

L'ETAT, C'EST MOO
I'm bossy around here ( a bit of cross threading!)

COGITO, ERGO SPUD
I think, therefore I yam

VENI, VIDI, VELCRO
I came, I saw, I stuck around

ICH BIT EIN BERLINER
He deserved it.

ZITGEIST
The Clearasil doesn't quite cover it up.

E PLURIBUS ANUM
Out of any group, there's always one asshole.

Looks as if he located the original NYMagazine list in its enirety!

ANTE MERIDEN - there's a poker game in Connecticut

SIC TEMPURA TYRANNIS - the dinosaur was actually a vegetarian

sic transit gloria. mundi?
My car is broken, Gloria. Can you give me a ride to work the first day next week?

temper fidelis always and faithfully angry

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Yet another translation of sic transit gloria mundi ==> "Ms Steinem threw up in the bus on the day after Sunday."

Hic! Et barbique. = That mesquite smoke gives one the hiccups!

"Ms. Steinem threw up in the bus." Jerry, you reminded me of something heard years ago.

nobusse oblige - motto of the Chicago bus service

Which brings to mind an oxymoron . . .

quote:

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Originally posted by Kalleh:

AMICUS PURIAE
Platonic friend

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How about

AMICUS PRURIAE
more-that-Platonic friend...